Moore Holds Scant Hope for Round's Next Step

January 21, 2000

World Trade Organization Director-General Mike Moore holds out little hope that the agricultural round of international trade talks will get underway anytime soon. There are "strong feelings" among countries that are preventing anything more than a "chance" that the round will get underway this year, he says.

Moore met with Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman Thursday, then told reporters there was no timetable in place for more talks. "Other areas" also were causing problems, he added, and said he did not know when agriculture ministers would get together again to jump-start talks. The issues involved are "of enormous importance" with developing countries concerned about social issues as well.

Asked why the United States should even bother to continue pushing for more talks, Glickman said U.S. tariffs "are significantly below" those of other countries, and export subsidy levels imposed by other countries make another round necessary. The United States has been trying to get the European Union at least to discuss reducing if not eliminating its export subsidies, a subject the EU doesn't even want on the agenda.

Representatives from 134 countries meet Monday in Montreal to try to complete negotiations on a biosafety protocol that has the support of the United Nations. The United States and the EU are at odds on several issues. Glickman said Thursday that a biosafety protocol must be consistent with WTO rules. The Eu wants the protocol, which seeks to protect biological diversity and regulate trade in genetically modified organisms, to cover food safety issues related to genetically modified corps, REUTERS reports. But the United Stats is opposed to that and has tried to keep the talks focused on the environmental aspects of genetically modified organisms.